Oceania

New analysis from Rystad Energy and Cornwall Insights Australia demonstrate how the return of spring has once again emphasised the growing supremacy of wind and solar in Australia’s energy makeup. The stats don’t lie, wind and solar are sweeping coal and gas out the door.

Hobsons Bay City Council is accelerating its Large Scale Solar Installation Program with a Virtual Power Plant to enable the sharing of solar generated energy around the Council’s assets. Going forward, Council wants to see its VPP expanded to include the vast array of members in its community.

Australia and Germany have brought their national hydrogen strategies together after signing a new agreement for a joint feasibility study into green hydrogen production and trade. The agreement was welcomed around the country as auspicious of Australia’s potential as a global green hydrogen superpower.

Michelle McCann and Lawrence McIntosh, the partners behind the solar panel testing facility, PV Lab, in Canberra think of Australia’s PV installations, large and small, as making up a vast virtual power plant. Their goal is to wring the promised performance from panels being sold into the Australian market and the ACT Government has just boosted their chances.

Call it a school upgrade, a maintenance improvement, a learning opportunity, a right start in life … Western Australia’s Solar Schools Program was launched last week in the Pilbara town of Port Hedland to bring multiple benefits to the quality of student experiences in the state’s regions.

Battery energy storage developers might consider the findings of new research by Cornwall Insight Australia, that batteries located in South Australia last year earned the most from supplying Frequency Control Ancillary Services to the NEM, and that New South Wales also offers fertile ground.

Western Australia is soaked in sunshine, and PV uptake is challenging the grid. But small numbers of medium-sized community batteries are taking the heat off the system, while helping more people to reap the dividends of rooftop solar PV.

Immediately on the back of the first fully-virtual solar industry event in the Australia market, the Smart Energy Council has announced its second ‘3D Virtual’ conference and exhibition – scheduled for March 3-4 2021.

Energy industry incumbents the Australian Energy Council and Energy Networks Australia hired UK firm Cambridge Economic Policy Associates to review the Australian Energy Market Operator’s “governance framework”. In principle, a review of the AEMO’s governance given its widening role in Australia’s energy future is valuable, but this report is about as useful as a toothpick to a pelican.

The Queensland Government has opened the registrations of interest period for its three planned and well-funded Renewable Energy Zones. The Sunshine State is calling on the renewables sector to come forward and lead Queensland’s renewable revolution.